I think you want a different game. Go back to MoO 2.

This past week I've been playing a trial of Eve: Online.

I'm pretty sure if you don't like the combat in GalCivII, you won't like the combat in Eve: Online (and vice versa).

Personally, I like turning off the stats and just watching the battle.

(Camera controls could be improved a bit though. Scrolling is too slow on Free Camera mode.)

No, he doesn't want a different game. Panzerboy has a great suggestion.
This feature would not be impossible to make and would improve the gameplay experience immensely.
For those who want to bypass getting involved tactically in a battle they could still have the basic battle option to simply watch.
In Superpower 2, battles are fought using a system that is not too different from GalCiv 2. The only diffence is that there is a menu of battle options such as 'full assault' 'ranged attack' air superiority' 'sub hunting' and so on.
A good idea indeed.
The great thing about Stardock is that they listen to our suggestions.

In Superpower 2, battles are fought using a system that is not too different from GalCiv 2. The only diffence is that there is a menu of battle options such as 'full assault' 'ranged attack' air superiority' 'sub hunting' and so on. A good idea indeed.

This here isn't a bad idea. It isn't tactical combat like MOO2, but rather a more strategic control of a battle, merely telling your forces what strategy to use.

Something like that could help define additional properties for the three weapon-types, such as range. This level of control would be appropriate and nice, I think.

In a way there is a tactical element, as ships are moved tile-by-tile and not simply to and from star systems. Choosing were to park your fleets to give them the optimum ability to strike first is tactical enough for me.

Not a different game. Wanting to add 3-point shooting to basketball doesn't make it a different game. It adds to it. Currently the ships just kind of look like flies buzzing around shooting in every direction.

In this game the ship designer is the strongest part, followed by planet layout, but is currently lacking in every other area.

Tactical combat would add to this game like field goals, free throws, and stolen bases add to their respective sports.

While a huge undertaking, it still needed to be done. This game currently lacks a soul, which is what often happens to "engine" games. I reference Diablo II and Dungeon Siege.

tacitcal battle = lame

sorry no tactical for me, from what i hear it was rather cheesy in moo2 anyway, the ai just couldnt cut it and the player would abuse it for easy wins. im sure there are tons of posts on that issue alone, i wont reference them for you. go find em and post in those dead threads.

WHAT THE HELL??!!! WTF is WRONG with you people?! This topic has been discussed since beta add infinum. Get off it and stop making whining post about it. Brad has already as many others have as well disscussed and explained why there is not tactical combat and why there WILL NEVER BE tactical combat.

Please stop wasting forum space with hundreds of the same posts whining about the same damn thing that is never going to change....sheesh!

Also, what gives you the idea that this is MOO4? Nobody made that claim. This is Galciv2, sucessor to Galciv1. Love it or leave it.

The best change you can hope for in the expansion pack on this subject is maybe some strategic options like the planetary assault has for battles, but this is probably unlikely.

The game was always intended to be a strategic STACK oriented combat model. Like Civ4 and such. It was never intended and nor should it be SPACE: TOTAL WAR. Thats a different game being handled by a different company.

Hello....it's a strategy game.   If you want tactical, go to hps.com or battlefront.com.  It takes long enough now to play, think how much more time it would take to do all the skirmishes and a large fleet battle!!!

Tactical combat WOULD make this a completely different game. You only need to look at a game like Rome - Total war to see how much tactical combat changes a game. In GC2, the warfare aspect of the game is about designing and building a fleet which exploits your enemies weaknesses strategically, through the 3 weapon / 3 defence type system, as well as range and speed considerations. In RTW, my armies were always a fraction of the size of everyone elses because they only needed to be that big - I would count a battle as a defeat if I hadn't taken on a force twice the size of mine and come away with 1/10th of the casualties they did. As a result, RTW got boring - even on VH/VH. No tactical combat in GC2 for me.

As a 4X game, I generally like the ship-to-ship combat how it is. If I want more tactical battles, I'll play Starfleet Command, or pull out dice and SSDs and play Starfleet Battles...

I think it might be intriguing to make a few changes to GalCiv2 ship-to-ship combat though:

1. Morale impacts on battles... Low morale could see ships attempting to flee, mutinees, defections...
2. Option to ATTEMPT to disengage from battle if not in orbit. This would only apply if you had available movement points prior to entering the battle.
3. I think the option to carry a ship-board-marines module so you could board and take-over enemy ships would be interesting. Have a requirement you to get that ship back to a home planet to repair it. This would all require an additional branch of tech to research for the offensive and defensive aspects of this.
4. Similar to #3, the idea of 'postures'. Could a defensive/peaceful ("Good"?) stance be set on ships so they focus on the destruction/disabling of enemy weapon systems. and/or engines? Make it so enemy ships don't/can't repair within 'x' parsecs of worlds they're at war with.

Anyway, nothing to say my ideas are any more valid than anyone else's but here's my 2 cents (1.7 cents US).

Fanboy dogpile!

LOL The first post sounds like me in my first ship skirmishes. "If only I could directly control this 1 hitpoint, 1 laser ship again these 2 Drengin cruisers I could win this battle! I am the Hannibal and G.S. Patton of strategy games dammit!" MOO sounds like RTW in that with fast reflexes, you could win tactical battles no matter how unprepared you might be.